Let It Be
is the eighth episode of the second season and the 17th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy. Short Summary Derek and Addison's personal and professional lives collide as friends visit from Manhattan for more than just a visit as they want radical pre-emptive surgery to prevent cancer, while Cristina and Burke attempt a "normal" date, with surgical consequences and George is left puzzled about a man who fell five stories. Full Summary On the ferry boat, Derek is on the upper deck and Addison on the lower deck. Addison smiles and waves her fingers at Derek, but Derek simply turns away. In the hospital parking lot, Meredith finds a zit on her forehead as Addison parks nearby and gets out. Addison sees Meredith fretting over her zit, and Meredith notices Addison watching. Addison waves her fingers to Meredith and Meredith awkwardly smiles and waves back. In the hospital hallway, Izzie and Alex are discussing their kiss at Joe's bar. Alex ends the discussion by telling Izzie that he plans to do it again and again, with tongue. Izzie seems pleased. Meredith puts a Hello Kitty bandage on her forehead zit. Webber follows Bailey and congratulates her about the five fellowships that have been offered to Bailey. He asks her which one she will take, hoping that she will stay at Seattle Grace. Bailey is busy so she brushes him off. He follows her and asks again. Bailey hasn't decided yet. Meredith gets on the elevator, where Derek is at the very rear with lots of people in between. A patient asks where Billing is, and Meredith and Derek answer in unison that it is in the basement. On a street corner, Cristina gets Burke some coffee. They are having a date that night, and both are looking forward to it. George is standing nearby with a bagel in his hand, looking at the couple, when a pigeon makes droppings on the bagel. He drops it, and just then, a man from the sky falls to the ground, right behind George. The man, Stu, a window washer, fell five floors and fractured his legs but that was it. George is hyped that Stu has equal breath sounds. Cristina palpates his abdomen but he doesn't hurt. However, his back is full of remains of a pigeon, the pigeon that saved George's life, because without the pigeon, Stu would have landed on George instead. George thanks the pigeon by stroking on a feather. Meredith is with a very lovely elderly couple. The husband, Jed, explains that his wife, Esme, hasn't been able to keep anything down, so he brought her in. Meredith diagnoses acute cholecystitis, meaning her gallbladder will need to come out. A man is at reception to see Derek. Derek sees Weiss, a friend from New York. At another part of the hospital, Addison hugs Sav. Weiss explains to Derek that Sav's mother died a month ago from ovarian cancer. Savvy then became infatuated with her breast and ovarian cancer gene, BRCA. Addison explains to Savvy that a positive test is not the end of the world, because it doesn't mean she has cancer, yet. However, Savvy has no intention of getting cancer, so she is here to have Addison take out her ovaries and uterus, and wants Addison to find someone who will cut off her breasts. George and Cristina are picking the remains of the pigeon out of Stu's back. George asks Stu whether there would be anyone Stu would like to call, because if George had lived through a five story fall, he would want to shout it and let everyone know, Carpe Diem, Seize the Day. George is excited and repeats that this is a miracle, since a fall from that height would normally end with collapsed lungs, broken back and severed aorta. George thinks that there must be a reason that the two are alive. Stu is annoyed. Bailey announces that Stu needs lower leg surgery. Savvy is in the room with Addison, Weiss, and Izzie. Savvy and Addison explain to Weiss that since she has the gene, there is 85% chance of getting the cancer. Weiss insists that she doesn't have the cancer now. Derek joins, explaining the 15% chance that she might not get it. He also reminds that they had been trying hard to have a baby. Savvy says that they have already discussed it and she has already made up her mind and the conversation is over. Addison gives Izzie instructions for the operation. Weiss and Derek object, but Addison overrides them, as Savvy is her patient. Derek and Addison continue to argue about the operation in the hospital hallway. Derek feels it is too extreme. Addison is upset that Derek was even in there, as Savvy is her patient. Derek thinks it's personal, since they are some of their closest friends. That is fine with Addison, as long as they deal with them as a couple, acting as a couple. Derek asks what she means, and Addison mentions the ring. She also mentions that at times he ignores her, and at couples therapy they only argue about whether they should be in therapy. Their friends are going through hell, and they can't even act like they like each other long enough to help them. Meredith tries to find a vein on Esme to stick a needle in, as the lovely elderly couple chat about monogamous animals. George is still psyched, and tells Meredith that Stu should also be more excited; things happen for a reason. Cristina asks George whether she can get out early, because she is going out with Burke on a test date. George still goes on, that this is the luckiest day in the world. Izzie is doing tests on Sav. Savvy saw Izzie's expression in the other room, and Savvy is certain that Izzie is uncomfortable because of the kid thing, the breast thing, or the overnight menopause thing. Izzie just thinks it's a big step. Alex thinks it's brave, which Savvy thanks him for saying. Savvy confesses that she would love to be pregnant, as she would want to skydive, learn Italian, go to St. Tropez and lie topless on the beach. Alex adds that they do good reconstructions these days, and she would never have to wear a bra again. Savvy laughs, but Izzie shoos him off. Izzie says it's not the kid thing. Savvy says she only has two options: take chances and not get cancer, or take chances and get cancer and die young. Izzie thinks there is another option: take chances, get cancer, and fight like hell to survive. In the locker room, Cristina is trying on some very hot and sexy dresses she bought for tonight's date. The interns all comment that she is hot. She is very nervous about the date. Izzie still can't believe that Savvy is getting the surgery just because she might get cancer. Meredith comments that she wouldn't have gotten the test itself, because they are all going to die anyway. Alex says slice them and dice them, they're just body parts. When Izzie asks whether he would get his penis cut off, he says he would if it kept him from dying; he has spares anyway. Cristina repeats to herself that she is hot. She reassures herself that Burke has seen her naked a thousand times (which gives George bad images). Meredith then teases that Burke has never seen her outside the hospital. Cristina is nervous again. Burke and Cristina head to his car in the parking lot. He comments that she looks lovely. Burke and Cristina both head for the passenger seat door. Cristina is awkward about having Burke open the door for her. But Burke also lets out a deep breath; he is also nervous. Bailey and Meredith are in the OR, operating on Esme to take out her gallbladder. They see a porcelain gallbladder, which is not good. Bailey and Meredith explain to Jed that his wife may have advanced gallbladder cancer. They suggest more tests which might mean more surgery, but which probably will not cure the cancer. Esme has only four to six months. After Bailey leaves, Jed tells Meredith that he doesn't want Esme to know, because she is very happy as she is. He doesn't want her to be afraid before she dies, and wants to take her home. Stu tries to stop George before he starts again. George then sees Stu's expression and gets it - Stu didn't fall, he jumped. When Stu had jumped, all he could think of was his ex, Daisy, who works at this hospital. Stu then asks George to find Daisy for him. In the hallway, Weiss talks to Derek about his reservations. Weiss and Savvy had plans for a baby, then she decides to go ahead with the surgery without letting him give his opinion or giving him time to process it. Derek reassures that Weiss will get through this, because they love each other. Weiss asks if that was true for Derek and Addison. Derek avoids answering him. Cristina and Burke are at a fancy restaurant. Cristina wants butter, not olive oil. Burke asks for Chardonnay but Cristina wants Bordeaux. Burke is having lobster but Cristina is having steak. Burke is surprised that Cristina eats red meat. In the elevator, Meredith teases George as he tries to track the girl down for Stu. He believes that something good might come out of this. He had thought Meredith was a romantic, and she says she was, past tense. Derek joins them in the elevator, and makes a comment about Meredith's cute bandage. Webber finds Bailey in front of the OR schedule board. She asks him if he wants anything; if not, she has one more surgery to go to. Webber asks Bailey again about the fellowship. Bailey still hasn't made her decision, and Webber makes a sale pitch for Seattle Grace. He asks her why she isn't more excited. Bailey is, she just has to go scrub in. At the restaurant, Cristina and Burke are having their awkward dinner, with not much conversation going on. A man at another table suddenly collapses, and his wife asks for a doctor, to which Cristina and Burke answer immediately. They look at the man, and diagnose that it is Marfan's syndrome. He has a dissecting thoracic aorta. They are going to have to operate on him immediately. The wife and the emergency medic ask who they are, and they reply that he is the surgeon who is going to operate on the man and she is with him. Izzie walks into Sav's room, where Savvy is putting make-up on to get ready to go out for dinner. Izzie still has the frustrated look on her face, so Savvy talks to Izzie that after the surgery she might not be sexy and beautiful, but she hopes that that is not the only reason why Weiss wanted to be with her. George runs down the stairs to the basement, where Daisy works at Billing. He finally finds her and tells her that Stu is looking for her, but she tells George to tell that bastard, Stu, that he could have come looking for her ten years ago. Stu is wheeled into the OR. In the gallery upstairs, Izzie and Alex are watching. Alex asks Izzie what she is pissed about. Izzie says that if there was a genetic test for testicular cancer, men who tested positive won't have surgery to remove because that would be castration. Izzie feels that Savvy is also having herself castrated. Izzie cannot act as if it is nothing. She thinks that if it was her, then Alex would never kiss her. She leaves. Stu asks if George found Daisy. George lies that Daisy was away on vacation, and that he might see her after his surgery when he recovers. He then is put under anesthesia, when he suddenly crashes. George starts CPR, but they couldn't save him. The cause of death is up to autopsy. George doesn't get it; he lived after falling five stories and tries to see Daisy who won't see him, and he dies. Bailey brushes him off that they are all part of the cosmic joke. Meredith stops Bailey and tells about Jed not wanting to tell Esme about the cancer. Bailey orders Meredith to tell Esme. Burke and Cristina are scrubbing for the surgery of the Marfan's man. They are excited about this case. They go into the OR. Bailey is taking a break, when Webber walks in, again. Webber suspects that Bailey is being wooed by other hospitals and that is why she isn't accepting the Seattle Grace fellowship. Webber goes on further to accuse that it's fine that she go elsewhere, but he is hurt that after all he's done for her, she's ungrateful. Bailey then breaks news to Webber that she is pregnant, and that is why she is tired and hungry, and she won't be leaving. In the OR, Burke lets Cristina handle the saw. They begin sawing together. Meredith enters the elevator, where she is with Derek again, alone this time. Derek asks Meredith that she could at least acknowledge him. Then the elevator stops, and Addison steps in. Apparently, the Shepherds are on their way out, together. There is an awkward silence in the elevator. Burke and Cristina report to the wife that the surgery took three hours but went perfectly. They explain to her that this was bound to happen at any time, and she thanks her luck that the two were having dinner at the same restaurant. Meredith is telling Esme about her gallbladder cancer. Esme tells Meredith that she and Jed were going to Venice at the end of the month. There is a saying that if you ride a gondola under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, you are together for eternity. Esme asks whether Jed knows about the cancer, because he would be so worried that she'd go first. She doesn't want him to know. Meredith wonders about a relationship built on a lie. Esme corrects her that it isn't a lie but their future. They are going to Venice and going on the gondola. Derek and Addison are in the restaurant with Weiss and Sav. Savvy and Weiss are glad that Addison came out to Seattle, since Derek and Addison were meant to be together. Savvy toasts to taking lives into own hands, then Weiss toasts to bull and to crap, and to all of the surgeries that Savvy is going to get. He is still having a hard time accepting all of it, and so toasts to losing his wife and to being the ass who can't be supportive. He then leaves. Derek finds Weiss in the hospital lobby, drunk. He offers Weiss a ride to the hotel to rest up before Savvy's surgery in the morning. Weiss says he can't hold Sav's hand while they rip her apart, although they may call it love. Derek assures him he can do it. Weiss asks if Derek and Addison are the same. Derek tells Weiss that things with him and Addison are different, but that Weiss should be there to support Sav. Meredith steps out of the room, where Jed asks if she told Esme. Meredith lies and says no. She stands outside the room and looks in at the loving couple. George and Meredith are outside the hospital, dawn. George wonders whether Stu cheated fate. Meredith tells George that you just can't wait for someone to fly underneath to save your life. She thinks you have to save yourself. The pigeons aren't going to come. Addison takes Polaroids of Sav's breasts in her room, for next year's holiday cards and for Weiss to look at whenever. The surgery is at eight and Addison will be taking Savvy down to pre-op. Addison asks Savvy that as a doctor she is 100% with Savvy but as her friend, is she really sure? Savvy knows what she is losing, but thinks about what she is gaining, her life with Weiss, as wrinkled old-aged couple arguing all the time. Alex finds Izzie in the locker room. He tells her that he likes her rack (which offends her at first), but it wouldn't be the end of the world if she got rid of them, because what he'd really want is her. Izzie gives Alex a crisp slap and a hot kiss, then leaves, smiling. Meredith looks on as Esme and Jed leave the hospital, hand in hand. Burke is sorry that their date was not a real date, but Cristina thinks that it was the best date she's ever been on. Savvy is in the OR, as Addison and Izzie get prepared for the surgery. Derek enters the OR, and Savvy thinks that Weiss isn't coming, but following Derek, Weiss enters the OR. She is happy to see him there. He is going to be there for her, holding her hand through it. Meredith and Derek are in the same elevator, alone, again. Meredith confesses that she misses him. Derek whispers, "I can't." Cast 208MeredithGrey.png|Meredith Grey 208CristinaYang.png|Cristina Yang 208IzzieStevens.png|Izzie Stevens 208AlexKarev.png|Alex Karev 208GeorgeO'Malley.png|George O'Malley 208MirandaBailey.png|Miranda Bailey 208RichardWebber.png|Richard Webber 208AddisonMontgomery.png|Addison Montgomery-Shepherd 208PrestonBurke.png|Preston Burke 208DerekShepherd.png|Derek Shepherd 208Savannah.png|Savannah 208Weiss.png|Weiss 208JedSorento.png|Jed Sorento 208StuVargas.png|Stu Vargas 208Talia.png|Talia 208EsmeSorento.png|Esme Sorento 208Daisy.png|Daisy 208TaliaandSpeed.png|Speed 208Anesthesiologist.png|Anesthesiologist 208Paramedic.png|Paramedic Ray Sutera 208Waiter.png|Waiter 208Nurse.png|Nurse Main Cast *Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey *Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang *Katherine Heigl as Dr. Izzie Stevens *Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev *T.R. Knight as Dr. George O'Malley *Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey *James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber *Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd *Isaiah Washington as Dr. Preston Burke *Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd Guest Stars *Arija Bareikis as Savannah *Joseph Lyle Taylor as Weiss *Shelley Berman as Jed Sorento *Geoffrey Rivas as Stu Vargas *Brittany Ishibashi as Talia *Janet Rotblatt as Esme Sorento Co-Starring *Kate Blumberg as Daisy *Kai Lennox as Speed *Kathleen M. Darcy as Anesthesiologist *Ray Ford as Paramedic *Brian Reid as Waiter Featuring *Linda Klein as Nurse Medical Notes Talia *'Diagnosis:' **Food poisoning *'Doctors:' *'Treatment:' Talia had food poisoning, for which she was treated at the hospital. Stu Vargas *'Diagnosis:' **Open tibia/fibula fracture *'Doctors:' **Miranda Bailey (surgical resident) **George O'Malley (surgical intern) **Cristina Yang (surgical intern) *'Treatment:' **Debridement **Attempted resuscitation Stu fell five stories outside the hospital. He shocked doctors by being only slightly injured by his fall. He landed on a bird, which left him with bird parts embedded in his back. They had to remove those parts and he needed surgery for his leg fractures. When he showed signs that he wasn't happy to be alive, George figured out that the fall was actually an attempt at suicide. While they were anesthetizing him for surgery, he crashed and was unable to be resuscitated. Esme Sorento *'Diagnosis:' **Acute cholecystitis **Gallbladder cancer *'Doctors:' **Miranda Bailey (surgical resident) **Meredith Grey (surgical intern) *'Treatment:' **Cholecystectomy Esme was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis and Meredith said she might need to have her gallbladder removed. However, when they went to operate, they saw signs of gallbladder cancer while removing the organ. Bailey believed the cancer was advanced to the point where only palliative care was an option. Savannah's mother *'Diagnosis:' **Ovarian cancer *'Doctors:' *'Treatment:' Catherine, Savvy's mother, died of ovarian cancer. She also mentioned that her aunt and cousin both had cancer as well. Savannah *'Diagnosis:' **Positive BRCA gene *'Doctors:' **Addison Montgomery-Shepherd (OB/GYN) **Dr. Cwynar (plastic surgeon) **Izzie Stevens (surgical intern) **Alex Karev (surgical intern) *'Treatment:' **Hysterectomy **Bilateral oophorectomy **Bilateral mastectomy **Breast reconstruction When she had a positive test for the breast and ovarian cancer gene, Savvy decided to have surgery to remove her uterus, breasts, and ovaries. Addison removed her uterus and ovaries and found another doctor to remove her breasts. She also got her a consult from plastics for breast reconstruction. Speed *'Diagnosis:' **Marfan syndrome **Aortic dissection *'Doctors:' **Preston Burke (cardiothoracic surgeon) **Cristina Yang (surgical intern) *'Treatment:' **Surgery While he was having dinner at a restaurant, Speed collapsed. Burke and Cristina evaluated him and believed he had Marfan syndrome, which had caused an aortic dissection. He was rushed to the hospital and into surgery. The surgery went well. Miranda Bailey *'Diagnosis:' **Pregnancy *'Doctors:' *'Treatment:' Bailey revealed to Webber that she was pregnant. Music "Sexy Mistake" - The Chalets "No Sleep Tonight" - The Faders "Bang Bang to the Rock 'n' Roll" - Gabin "I'll Melt With You" - Nouvelle Vague "Far Away Blues" - Joe Purdy "Miss Halfway" - Anya Marina Notes and Trivia *This episode's title originated from the song Let It Be, originally sung by The Beatles. *This episode scored 19.74 million viewers. *When Meredith sits in her car the Hello Kitty on the bandage is upside down. When she is in the elevator, it is the right way again. *According to the Official Grey's Anatomy Podcast, the events of Callie's flashback, including her fixing legs warped by polio, take place during this episode. *Strangely, Bailey is offered fellowships in this episode. This is contradictive to the later episodes in which Meredith and her fellow residents choose their specialties. First of all, general surgeons don't have to complete a fellowship, as having completed the surgical residency qualifies a physician as an attending general surgeon. Additionally, Bailey is only in her fourth year of residency. It's later proven in season eight that residents who do want to specialize choose their fellowships in the fifth year of residency. Gallery Episode Stills 2x08-1.jpg 2x08-2.jpg 2x08-3.jpg 2x08-4.jpg 2x08-5.jpg 2x08-6.jpg 2x08-7.jpg 2x08-8.jpg 2x08-9.jpg 2x08-10.jpg 2x08-11.jpg 2x08-12.jpg 2x08-13.jpg Quotes :Izzie: You kissed me. :Alex: Yes, I did. :Izzie: Should we... I mean, there's a discussion that we could have... if you wanted to have one? :Alex: Izzie, I kissed you, with tongue, and I plan to do it again and again. Get used to it. End of discussion. ---- :Richard: You're being wooed, aren't you? :Bailey: Excuse me? :Richard: The fellowship. L.A. Med? Chicago Central? They're wooing you. I mean, you're fielding offers, you're looking at bonus packages. You're letting yourself be wooed. :Bailey: No, Chief... :Richard: No, it's fine. It's fine. Go be a hotshot somewhere else. But tell me. How could you do this to me? You know, I'm hurt. I'm really hurt. After all I've done for you. You're gifted and you're ungrateful and that's all I'm saying. :Bailey: I'm pregnant, you blind moron. :Richard: You're what? :Bailey: My heart is 110. I'm burning 3,000 calories a day. My legs are swollen. I've got indigestion and gas. Did you know that carrying a boy in your uterus means you burn 10% more calories than if you had a girl? Guess what I'm carrying. I tried for 7 damn years and a month before my fellowship notifications, the stick turns blue. Men. From the very beginning, they suck the life right out of you. I'm not leaving, I'm pregnant. :Richard: Uhm, congratulations. See Also *Episode Transcript de:Romeo und Julia fr:Ainsi soit-il Category:All Episodes Category:GA Episodes Category:GA S2 Episodes